Flavor is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The “trigeminal senses,” which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, may also occasionally determine flavor. The flavor of the food or other substance, as such, can be altered with natural or artificial flavorants or flavor enhancers which affect these senses.
Flavor enhancers are focused on altering or enhancing the flavors of natural food products, or creating flavor for food products that do not have the desired flavors such as candies and other snacks. Most types of flavorants or flavor enhancers are focused on taste and smell. Few commercial products exist to stimulate the trigeminal senses, since these are sharp, astringent, and typically unpleasant flavors.
The most well known flavor enhancer is Monosodium Glutamate, which is used widely in processed foods. It is used to restore food flavor lost during food processing and to give flavor to bland foods. It stimulates the tongue's taste buds and accentuates the aroma and taste of the base ingredients used in food applications. Flavor Enhancers may refine, brighten, accentuate, and naturally enhance key flavor notes. Unfortunately, monosodium glutamate and other flavor enhancers may pose health concerns and other problems in sensitive individuals.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,942, issued to applicant herein, a low frequency electroacoustic transducer (the “Cassone Transducer”) is disclosed. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,942, the Cassone Transducer could be used to efficiently disperse emulsions, chemical and other wastes, and the like for recycling and environmental enhancement. In subsequently issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,134 to Cassone, it is disclosed that the Cassone Transducer may be used to treat circulatory disorders. In application Ser. No. 10/166,749 (Published as 20020151828 on Oct. 17, 2002) to Cassone, it is disclosed that the Cassone Transducer may be used to treat certain blood-manifested medical disorders. These related patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,132,942 and 6,500,134 and application Ser. No. 10/166,749 by the same named inventor are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. None of these related patents and application disclose the use of the Cassone Transducer for treating food for flavor enhancement. It is to that use that the current invention is directed.
Accordingly, there has been a need for novel acoustically-treated foods and a method for treating said foods to enhance their flavor. There is a further need for said foods and methods which do not use chemicals. There is a still further need for said foods and methods that enhance the flavor of food through the use of acoustic waves. There is an additional need for acoustically-treated foods and methods that can transform inferior quality and less expensive food into better tasting food. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.